There are many different technologies available in current image forming systems that can scan an image, manipulate that image, and print a variety of versions of that image on a printing medium. A specific type of image forming system known as an electronic printing system, is one example system common for commercial reproduction or copying systems. An electronic printing system typically employs a combination of basic components. These components include a scanner for scanning image-containing documents, conversion electronics for converting the image to image signals or pixels, and a printer component for outputting images on a printing medium. The electronic printing system can store the image signals or pixels, in the form of image data, and subsequently read the image data successively to the printer component for formation of images on the printing medium, such as a piece of paper.
The user of such an electronic printing system often desires to scan a document or image and modify the resulting input image in a variety of ways prior to printing that input image on a printing medium. Some known varieties of image manipulation include enlargement or reduction of image size, lightening or darkening of image tone, adjustment of image contrast, adjustment of image resolution, shrink-to-fit, and black and white vs. color printing. The different methods by which the user can manipulate the resulting image allow the user to have greater creative freedom in forming a resulting image that matches predetermined criteria.
One common task in this day of modem image forming technology is the repetition of a single image on a single printing medium. Suppose, for example, that a user desires to form a document such as an advertisement that includes repeating address and telephone contact information. One method of creating such a document is to copy the contact information on multiple separate sheets of paper and cut and paste multiple blocks containing the contact information onto a single sheet. The user then copies the physically cut and paste (or taped) single sheet onto a final single sheet version containing the multiple blocks of the original image, i.e., the contact information. This process is time consuming, requires excess use of paper, and is relatively inefficient.
A user can carry out a similar process in a digital manner on a word processor in which “cut and paste” operations are built into the system software, but only if the image to be replicated can be portrayed in a compatible manner. Through trial and error, a user can reproduce a digital image the desired number of times, and attempt to fit the collection of image replications on one printed sheet. This process may require several attempts at arranging the replicate copies of the image across the page until the desired number of images properly fits on the page. However, if the image to be replicated and multiplied is not already in digital form, if the user does not have access to a word processor or other similar software package, or if some other factor precludes the above-described process, the “cut and paste” operation of the word processor will not work.